We've spent a lot of time in of Victorian London on this podcast- a world of cobbled streets, grimy buildings and crowded homes. But how accurate is this- what was it really like to live in the slums of Victorian London?
Our guest today is Dr. Jackie Riding! Jackie is a specialist in the history of the 18th and 19th centuries, and her most recent book, ‘Hard Streets: Working-Class Lives in Charlie Chaplin’s London’ was published earlier this year. Jackie, welcome to After Dark!
0:00 Introduction
1:41 Charlie Chaplin's London and South London history
7:23 Conditions for working-class Londoners
9:33 Inside the Chaplin household
11:45 Poverty, health, and flooding in Victorian London
18:20 Middle-class reformers and Charles Booth's research
20:02 Workhouses, mental health, and asylums
24:37 Seeking humor amidst hardship
26:10 The rise of the Victorian music hall
32:12 Crime and public perception in Victorian London
33:54 Folk heroes, popular stories, and street culture
37:31 Mary Carr and the 40 Thieves gang
44:22 Fluidity, community support, and policing
49:12 Casting a film about Chaplin's early life
This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith and McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Anna Brant. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.
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